Carbohydrate Facts

• Carbohydrates are the bodies main source of energy and provide the central nervous system with energy.
• One gram of carbohydrates contains 4 calories.
• There are two compounds that make up carbohydrates: aldehydes and ketones.
• There are various types of carbohydrates monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides.

Monosaccharides

Monosaccharides are the smallest form of sugar and includes things such as glucose, galactose and fructose.

Disaccharides

A disaccharides is two monosaccharides joined together forming any of the following lactose, sucrose and maltose.

When one glucose molecule is joined with a galactose molecule it creates lactose found in dairy products.

Polysaccharides

A polysaccharides is a chain of one or more monosaccharides the chains can either be branched or unbranched.

Sugar

Starch

Fibre

Why the body needs carbohydrates

Energy

Carbohydrates are the bodys main source of energy.

Carbs are broken down by the body into glucose sugars and absorbed into the blood stream. The glucose sugars then go into the cells which then assist in insulin levels.

Excess glucose is changed into glycogen and entered into the liver and muscles . If the glucose can not be changed into glycogen because the body has more than it needs, it is then converted into fat instead.

Reduced risk of diseases

Carbohydrates contain fiber which will reduce the risk of diabetes, some forms of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Simple Carbohydrates

The body will digest and absorbed simple carbs faster than complex carbs giving your body an instant rush of energy.

Simple carbohydrates are sugars such as fructose found in fruit, lactose found in dairy products, sucrose which is refined sugars, and maltose found in things such as beer and some fruits.

Simple carbohydrates are best to be consumed before exercise, up to 1 hour- 30 minutes, because it will give you that instant rush of energy.

Foods that contain simple carbs

• Sugars
• Fruit juice
• Energy/ fizzy drinks
• Sweets and cakes
• Chocolate
• Biscuits
• Breakfast cereals
• White breads and pasta

Complex carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are a slow releasing energy and are digested by the body slower than simple carbs, and will keep you feeling fuller for longer. Complex carbs are higher in fiber, starch and other nutrients.

Complex carbohydrates should be consumed around 2-3 hours before exercise.

Food that contain complex carbs

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Wholegrain food (bread, pasta, rice)
• Nut and seeds
• Beans and lentils
• Oats

What happens when you dont get enough carbs

Without carbohydrates to use as energy your body will turn to your protein stores and use that for energy instead. Resulting in a break down of the muscles and muscle loss.

Limiting carbohydrate will also mean your diet is lower in fiber and can lead to vitamin deficiency.

Because carbs are needed for brain function a low carbohydrate diet can leave you feeling weak, light headed, dizzy and with little energy or motivation.

What happens when you eat too much carbs

When you over consume and eat more carbohydrates than the body needs it will turn the carbs into fat. Which inturn leads to weight gain, and can cause diabetes and many other health problems.

Another health risk of eating too much refined carbohydrates is that it will lead to high blood/cholesterol levels.

Refined carbohydrates go into the blood stream quickly causing a spike in blood sugar levels and provide you with instant energy. This only lasts for a short amount of time before you are left hungry and lacking in energy.

While wholegrain carbs keep you feeling fuller for longer and provide you body with slow releasing energy.

Why the body needs fats

Fat contains fatty acids that the body is unable to produce by its-self.

Fat also helps the body to absorb other nutrients such as vitamin A, Vitamin D and Vitamin E.

Vitamin A, D and E are all fat soluble which means that they can only be absorbed along- side foods that contain fats.

More fat than the body needs is stored as body fat.

1 gram of fat, both saturated and unsaturated, contains roughly 9kcal of energy.

There are two kinds of fats: saturated and unsaturated.

Saturated Fats (unhealthy Fats)

Foods high in saturated fat

• Cakes
• Biscuits
• Chocolate
• Butter/lard/gee
• Cheese
• Ice cream/ cream
• Pastries
• Palm oil, coconut oil and coconut cream
• Fatty cuts of meat
• High fat dairy products

Risks of too much saturated fats

Too much saturated fat will cause an increase in the bodies cholesterol level. Cholesterol is made in the liver and is then carried through the blood as low-density lipoprotein (LDP) and high-density lipoprotein(HLP).

More saturated fat than the body needs will increase the LDP in the blood stream. This will put you at more risk of getting heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes.

HLP in the blood will take unused cholesterol from the body and deposit it into the liver where the liver will work hard getting rid of the excess fat.

How much saturated fat does the body need?

Women- 20g saturated fat per day

Men- 30g saturated fat per day

Children- should have less that adults

Trans Fats

Trans fats are a liquid fat before being changed into a solid fat.

Trans fats will also raise cholesterol levels in the blood it is recommended that adults should not consume more that 5g of trans fat per day.

Trans fats are found in foods such as meat, dairy products, hydrogenated vegetable oils, frozen/ready made foods,fast foods, chips,and fried foods.

Unsaturated fats (healthy Fats)

Unsaturated fats will lower high cholesterol levels and will cut your risks of getting the health problems that are caused by too much saturated fats.

Foods high in unsaturated fats

• Avocados
• Nuts and seeds
• Olive oil
• Fish (salmon, mackerel)

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats protect the heart and help to maintain good levels of HDL cholesterol in the body and reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol in the body.

Foods that contain monounsaturated fats

• Olive oil and rapeseed oil
• Avocados
• Almonds, brazil nuts, cashews and peanuts

Polyunsaturated fats

Foods that contain polyunsaturated fats

• Fish
• Flaxseeds and chia seeds
• Soya beans
• Some nuts and seeds (pine nuts, walnuts and sesame seeds)

Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids

Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fats.

Foods that contain omega 3 fatty acids include fish, nuts and seeds, eggs, chicken.

Benefits of omega 3 fatty acids

• lower heart rate
• lower risk of blood clotting
• lower blood pressure
• reduce the build up of fatty plague in the arteries

What Is A Vegan?

A vegan is someone who consumes no animal products or anything that comes from an animal. Instead they eat a plant based diet.

Reasons people may go vegan

Ethical /Environment

Some people turn vegan due to ethical reasons because they feel animals should have the same rights as humans, or they believe it its better for the environment to eat a plant based diet.

Vegans avoid eating anything that contains animal products as well as avoiding clothing, shoes and goods that may have been made with animal fur or skin. As well as avoiding any products that have been tested on animals.

Health reasons

Many people turn to veganism due to the health benefits achieved from a plant based diet.

A vegan diet can reduce your risk of many health problems and help people lose weight, as well as reducing their overall body fat percentage.

Types of vegans

Diet based vegans- this means that the person will not eat any meat or animal products but may still wear clothing or other products that are animal based, and use products that may have been tested on animals.

Whole food vegans– this means they eat mostly wholefood and plant based foods, limiting foods that are overly processed.

This type of vegan also avoids animal based clothing, and products tested on animals.

Junk food vegans– Someone who is more of a junk food vegan will eat a lot of processed and packaged vegan foods.

Raw food vegan– this means they will only eat raw foods such as raw fruits and vegetable and foods that have been cooked at a low temperature.

Low fat vegan- A low fat vegan will go for low fat foods and avoid eating high fat foods such as nuts/seeds and avocados.

What vegans do not eat

• Meat
• Fish/ sea foods
• Eggs
• Dairy products
• Honey

What Vegans eat

• Tofu
• Lentils
• Beans/ pulses
• nuts/seeds
• Tempeh/ seitan
• fruits and vegetables

Health benefits of a vegan diet

1. High in many vitamins/ minerals and nutrients
2. Help with weight loss
3. Lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels
4. protect against some forms of cancer
5. Improved kidney function and lower risk of heart disease
6. Lower risk of diabetes and strokes

Vegans and protein

There is a lot of debate about whether vegans get enough protein in their diet due to not consuming any meat or animal products.

However, a well balanced and planned vegan diet can provide the body with more than enough protein.

Plant based foods that are high in protein include beans, tofu, setian, vegan meat replacements, vegan dairy replacements, some vegetables, nuts and seeds, vegan protein powders and vegan protein bars.

vegan meal plan example

Breakfast- porridge

• oats
• Plant base milk
• fruit i.e. berries or banana
• maple syrup
• nut butter or chia seeds

Lunch

Option one

• Toast
• Mashed avocado
• cooked spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes

Option 2

• Bread / wrap or pita bread
• Hummus
• tofu
• lettuce
• cucumber
• tomatoes

Dinner

Option one

• Sweet potato and parsnip chips
• Vegan steak or vegan burger and roll
• Vegetables i.e broccoli/ cauliflower/ corn on cob

Option 2

• Pasta
• tomato- vegetable sauce
• with either beans or lentils

Snack Ideas

Option one – Smoothie

• Banana
• Frozen berries
• Soya yogurt
• cinnamon
• syrup

Option 2

• Vegan dried fruit bar
• some vegetable sticks and hummus

Evreyday items that are vegan friendly

The hook can be a very hard punch and can be thrown from both the back arm and the front arm.

A hook can be used as a way to open up your opponent for other attacks or thrown lightly to cause a reaction, allowing you to land the power shot straight after.

Hooks will work well against the ropes or coming forward towards your opponent.

Target

 The main Target for the hook is the jaw, however it can also be aimed to the body usually the liver if you are wanting to cause the most damage to your opponent but it can also be targeted towards the ribs.

Tips to a effective hook

Hand in guard

Like any other punch you throw you opposite hand should be kept up in guard to protect ypur face with your elbows tucked into the body.

Rotatation of the body

Rotating the body into your hook will increase the power and force in the punch. Another good thing with rotating the body is that it moves your head of the center line allowing you to avoid any counter attacks.

Pivote on the foot

When you throw the hook you want to pivot with on the same foot that you are throwing the hook from i.e if you throw the lead hook you will pivot on the back foot and if you are throwing the rear hook you should be pivoting on the rear foot.

Bend at the knees

Sit down on the power to generate more power. Do not bend too much, only have a slight bend in the knees.

Turn the arm

When you are throwing the punch you should rotate the arm to around a 90 degree angle. If you do not then your hook will not have as much power as it could have.

Aim right past the target

You want to follow right through with the punch. So you aim for the other side of your target, the same as you would when throwing the kick. You are not aiming to stop when you hit your opponent. Instead follow right through with the punch to the other side.

Mistakes

Droping the hands

A common mistake seen by people is they tend to drop the other hand to which they are throwing the hook with. By doing this they are exposing there face to a counter attack, usually a counter hook from their opponent.

Not bending the knees

By this I mean standing straight upright when throwing the punch. By doing this you are unable to generate much force behind the strike. Along with this you are more of balance and leaving your self in a position to get hit.

Bringing the arm down

Dont throw the hook from your waist. This is a mistake lots of people will make. They will load up the punch from their waist. This not only leaves your face exposed to your opponent but your opponent will see the hook coming and be able to block it.

Weight evenly distributed

You weight should be even between both feet. Having too much weight on the front foot will mean you are of balance and if your hook misses the target, you will fall forward towards your opponent.

Distance

If you are not in range and throw the hook then will not land and if it does land then there will be no power or cause any effect to your opponent.

The hook is a short range punch so you want to be in close for it to land and cause any damage if you are to far out for the hook to land then you can either taking a step forward as you hook or a lunge forward to close the distance.

You can throw a long hook from a distance but this will usually leave your face exposed and undefended.

Kinds of hooks

Pivot- hook this type of hook is when you pivot away from an aggressive opponent that is coming towards you. To throw it wait for the right timing. When your opponent is walking you down, then pivot on your lead foot and swing the back foot to the left out the centre line, while at the same time throwing the lead hood.

Going backwards hook: This hook is thrown against an aggressive opponent who is charging forward towards you. To throw it correctly time it so your opponent is of balance, throwing shots, while coming forward then push of the front foot and step backwards while throwing the lead hook at the same time.

Lead body hook: The time for this hook is best used after a set up to get into the right postiton to land it cleanly in the target. When throwing a body hook you want to aim upwards into their body.

Forward hook:For this type of hook to be effective you need to just be out of your range. You then want to push of the legs and swing forward, while at the same time throwing the lead hook. The timing needs to be right and you must be fast and accurate on where you want the hook to land.

Lunging Hook: The lunge is is thrown from the lead arm you need to push of the back foot at the same time lunge forward with the front leg while throwing the hook towards your opponent.

Hook set ups

Cross to a lead hook works realy well as it can be thrown at speed and leaves you in a good position. After the cross has landed to throw the lead hook to either the head or body.

The cross can also be used as a fient to set up the lead power hook. Make it look like you are going to throw the cross, you could even set the cross up by throwing jab-cross a few times. Your opponent will then expect the cross to come after the jab, but instead fake the cross so they cover up, then throw the lead hook to there exposed body.

You could also throw the overhand right to set up the lead hook this will work just aswell as the cross.

Uppercut-hook: Throw the rear uppercut then come back with the front hook. You need to be very fast and follow right through with this combination if it is to have an effect.

Body/head Hook-Hook: Throw the hook to the body then come straight up with the hook to the head using the same arm. This will make them drop the guard to protect the body leaving the face open.

You can also throw the hook to the head. First followed by the body hook. This works just as well, as they will bring the hands up to cover the face leaving their body exposed.

Hook-Hook: This works well because they come from different sides to throw the hook -hook. You can throw the rear hook to the body, then come back with the front hook to the head. Or the front hook followed by the rear hook.

When using the Hook-Hook remember to twist into both punches and pivot on the feet. So rotate one way then the other way.

The double hook: To have any effect or to land a double hook you need to be fast and explosive. This works well against an opponent with a tight high guard.

When throwing more than one hook something else that works well is, if the first hook is fast but not power-full as it is just used to get a reaction out of your opponent. While the second hook is thrown with power to cause damage.

The cross is the power shot that comes after the jab. The cross is so much more powerfull than the jab because of the distance it covers going towards the target.

To get the most power you must turn the hips into the punch. A good cross can cause knock-outs if landed right, and make your opponent fear the power in your right hand.

Benefits of the Cross

• Can reach your opponent with speed, and can be landed from a distance while still generating power and force.
• Easy to set up and flows well after most combinations
• Leaves you in a good position/range to attack straight after.

How to throw a cross

• Start of in basic fighting stance
• Extended the right arm outwards towards opponent
• Keep back left arm up in guard
• Turn hips and shoulder into the punch
• Bring your heel up of the ground with a slight pivot
• Have a slight bend at the knees
• Bring some of your body weight forward onto the lead leg
• Look straight at the target all the time
• Bring the arm straight back to start position

Tips for a good cross

Keep a good solid guard

Make sure the lead arm does not drop when you extend the right arm for the cross. Keep it up in front of the face. After the cross has landed return the arm straight back to your face, ready for the next attack.

Full extension of the arm

To generate the most power and force behind the cross you want to fully extend the arm outwards in a straight line towards your opponent. However you do not want to over extend as this can cause problems to your elbow.

Weight distribution

When you extend the arm outwards bring your weight forward onto the lead leg, then pivot on the back foot twisting the hips and shoulder into the punch. At the same time have a slight bend at the knees and lean forward slightly. This is all done at the same time as extending the arm outwards.

Rotation of the fist

you should rotate the fist just before you make contacted with the target so the pam of your hand is facing towards the floor.

Pivet the foot

The same time as you extend the arm throw the cross and pivot your back foot, so the heal comes up of the ground. Your toes should remain on the ground.

Twist the body

This is where the power in your punch will come from. You will want to rotate the body into the punch.

Bend at the knees

Sit down in the punch. To do this slightly bend the knees, as you twist your body into the punch. By doing this it will increase the power and force behind your punch.

Eyes on target

Always keep eyes on the target you are aiming for. Do not look at the ground or off to the side. Because then the punch will go in the direction that you are looking. You want the cross to go straight down the centre line.

Straight back to guard

Once you have landed the cross bring the hand straight back to the face. If you drop the hand after your punch before bringing it back to your guard, then your face will be left exposed to your opponents counter attacks .

Mistakes when throwing the cross

Exposing the face

It is common to see people drop the left hand when they throw the cross leaving the face open for attack. Instead you want to keep the hand up tight in guard.

Telegraphing the punch

A bad habit to get into is bringing the arm back behind you before you throw the cross or you lift the elbow upwards and out to the side. By doing this you are telegraphing the punch. Your opponent will then see it coming and defend it before it makes contact with them.

Foot positioning

Lifting the whole of your back foot of the ground when throwing the cross will take away most of the power in the punch. It will leave you of balance and overextending. You will want to keep your toes on the ground and only bring the heal up.

Don’t apply too much weight on the front foot. You only want a small amount of your body weight coming forward. But not all of it. By shifting too much weight onto the front foot you will be leaning too far forward making you of balance, if the punch is dodged or defended against.

Over extension

You want to be in a good range so the cross will actually land. If you are out of range and over extend the punch this will leave you of balance and less likely to hit the target. And can cause damage to your elbow at the same time.

Setting up the cross

The cross is easy to set up, and works well after most strikes or combinations. It can be thrown on its own without having to set it up.

Jab-Cross: is the most common way to set up the cross This combination can be thrown with speed and be very effective. The jab will allow you to find your range and distract your opponent. You can even feint the jab. All this will allow you to land the power cross.

Jab to body: Cross: By throwing the jab to the body first, this will cause your opponent to drop there guard to defend themselves. Allowing you to come straight up with the cross to the face.

Hook-Cross: The hook is thrown with less power but should land on target with good timing and accuracy. Then the cross is thrown with power and speed. It can be unpredictable so your opponent will not know what to expect.

Left Uppercut-cross: This should be thrown from a distance that is not too close to your opponent or too far away from your opponent. If you are too far for the uppercut to land take a small step forward with the lead foot to close the distance. Then throw the uppercut. Lastly, the power cross straight over their guard.

How to defend the cross

Head movement

Head movements will stop shots landing on your face. It will not stop every single shot landing but you can avoid most of them from hitting you.

Things such as ducking, weaving, slipping the head side to side, are all good head movement to prevent the punch making contact with your face.

You can really frustrate your opponent by constantly moving the head making their shots miss you.

Even leaning backwards will protect you from being hit by the cross. To do this keep the legs planted and just lean backwards with the hips.

Parrying

Your hands can be used to parry, block and stop their cross landing on you.

Footwork:

By using footwork you are able to move out the way of your opponent and avoid there cross from landing. Something as simple as just going backwards so their cross misses your face.

Depression is more than just having a low mood or feeling upset or down after a bad day.

It is not as easy to just snap out of it or get over it as alot of people might think.

Depression is a constant fealing of sadness that never leaves it is a feeling or being alone worthless/hopeless and a faliur at everything you have ever done.

It is like you have a dark cloud hanging over you all the time that will never leave and it feels like a heavy weight pulling you down and down to the point where you just cant keep going anymore so you give up trying as you do not see the point.

It is like there is darkness that follows you everywhere you go and you can not see the light no matter how hard you try.

It is when you have got to the stage where you no longer care about yourself or the people around you it will make you push everyone away and shut them out as you feal like you are a burden to them and an iconvenience.

When you feel depressed its hard to see the positive in anything things you used to like doing are such an effort now that you stop doing them.

Getting out of bed the morning is so much work even the thought of having to wake up makes you want to cry.

you get to the stage where you would do anything to get rid of the pain and hurt that you are feeling.

At some point you start to shut the rest of the world out you stop leaving the house as the outside gives you so much anxiety that its easier to stay indoors.

You stop taking care of yourself you might not shower for days your house is a mess theres things that need done but you cant seem to find the strength to get up and do them.

You feel so alone like no will ever understand what your going through so you bottle it up and keep everything in to the point where you just cant keep going on like this.

What can cause depression

Truma

A trumatic event that happined to you in the past or a bad child hood growing up and bad expereince with people in the past.

Life events

Things such as losing your job, moving house or even losing your house the death of someone close to you, stress and pressure from your job.

Other things are becoming homeless being builed and abused..

If you have other mental health problems such as bad anxiety, eating disorder or Post trumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can all lead to depression.

Health problems

Poor or bad health can impaked your moods things such as low blood suger, sleep problems, terminal illness, conditions effecting the way the brain works and nervous system.

Sometimes you do not have had to have somthing happin or a real reason to feel depressed you could be living in a big house have a well paiying job with loads of money with supportive close friends and family but you can still feal depressed and have that constact feelings of sadness.

Genetic

Depression can run in the family if you have a family history of depression there is a higher risk you will get it to.

Ways used to escape the fealing

When feeling depressed people might turn to drugs and alcohol to escape there thoughts and the world around them by getting high or drunk they forget the feelings of sadness they experience and it is a way from them to shut of the mind.

Other times people turn to self harm as they like the fealing of the pain when they hurt themself it is a away to escape the pain they feal inside them.

Some people may turn to food as a way to escape but this can lead to weight gane which can leave you fealing worse.

symptoms

• feeling low sad all the time
• low self estime/ low conffidence
• thoughts of hurting yourself and death
• self harm
• overeating/ undereating
• weight gain/ weight loss
• pushing people away
• no motivation
• loss of intrest in things you use to like
• fealing tires all the time
• low concentration / brain fog
• restless/ agitated
• crying and tearfull all the time
• fealing burn out

Recovery

Cognitive behavioural theraphy (CBT)

This is the most common way to get over fealings of depression it is to change the way you think and look at things it is not going over past events to why you are in that situation its looking to change your behviour and make your brain rethink thoughts that might be bringing you down.

It is focusing on what you experence and feel right there and then.

Diet and Exercise

Taking part in regular exercise will improve your moods by realsing the feel good hormones throughout the body.

By being more active it can lift your moods, reduce stress and anxiety improve your self isteem while giving a distraction from your mind and thoughts.

Talk to someone

Talking to people about how you feel it could be a close friend or family member or if you feel more comfortable talking to other people in the same situation as you a group meating might be more for you.

Four of My Favourite Bag Workouts:

Workout 1:

• 20 right kicks
• 20 left kicks
• 20 alternative kicks
• 20 teeps
• 20 clinch knees
• 20 jab cross
• Then work your way down performing each movement 18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2 times, you can then go back up to 20 again.

When I do this workout I will do 3 rounds of it, so will start with 20 of each technique then work my way down to two reps, then all the way back up to 20. Finishing of with going back down again to two reps each.

Workout 2:

• 65 right body kicks
• 65 left body
• 100 alternative kicks
• 200 clinch knees

I am working my way up with these kicks. When I first started I was at 20 kicks each leg and 40 alternative kicks. I am now at 50 and 100 kicks. I will try and add extra kicks each time. My goals is to get to 100 lefts kicks and 100 right kicks, with 200 alternative kicks.

I am also working my way up with the clinch knees.

Workout 3:

I usually have 6 combinations and perform each one for 30 seconds at a very high intensity before moving straight onto the next combination. I will repeat this until I have done 5 rounds of each combination with no rest.

Example

1. Jab-right body kick
2. cross -switch body kick
3. Jab-right body kick-cross switch body kick
4. Jab-double right body kick
5. cross-double left body kick
6. Jab-double right kick-cross-double left lick

Workout 4

10 rounds of 3 minutes with a one minute ab exercise between rounds.

1. Freestyle (right stance)
2. Jab-cross blitz
3. Free style (left stance)
4. Knee blitz
5. Freestyle (right stance)
6. Kick blitz
7. Freestyle (left stance)
8. Teep blitz
9. Freestyle (right stance)
10. power shots

Liam Harrison is an 8x World Kick Boxing and Muay Thai champion.

The first seminar I did with Liam harrison was in 2017, when I was living and training in Edinburgh at the Black Diamond Thai boxing club.

The second seminar was in 2018 at Aberdeen Muay Thai.

Damien has a record of 85 fights, 62 wins, 21 losses, and 2 draws. Damien is a former World Champion and a 2 x European champion.

On the 1st June 2019, I went to a Damien Trainor seminar down in Edinburgh. The seminar was held at my old gym, where I had previously trained for a while: Black Diamond Thai Boxing club.

we were paired up for the warm-up. Then for a 2 minute round one person was holding the plank exercise, while the other was performing high knees. After the 2 minutes we swapped over and repeated this 3 times, before doing a few rounds of shadow sparring and some stretching.

We then went on to do some padwork. On the pads we went over throwing the right kick straight into a cross, you should land the cross before you put the leg back down similar to a superman punch.

The combinations we went over on the pads included: using the hands to set up the kicks. We went over long boxing combinations, as we performed around 5-6 punches to set up the kicks.

To finish we did a boxing drill on the pads.

There was 5 combinations numbered 1-7:

• 1: jab
• 2:jab-cross
• Jab-cross-hook
• 4:Jab-cross-hook-cross
• 5:jab-cross-hook-cross-body shot
• 6:jab-cross-hook-cross-body shot-head hook same arm
• 7:jab-cross-hook-cross-body shot-head hook-cross

Your partner would call out a number and you had to perform the combination leading up to that number, for example if your partner said 1, then you would only throw the jab but if your partner also said 4 you would throw the jab-cross-hook-cross.

25th February 2015 George Carnell Centre Manchester

I had only been training Muay Thai for about 2 years when I entered the Sandee Junior Championships. I was not ready to fight then but I still went ahead and did it anyway.

The week before the event I went down to Sheffield to train at the Wicker Camp. On the day of the show I turned out that I was to fight one of the girls from the wicker camp who I had been training with the week leading up to it!

I weighed in at 59kg. The Sandee show was an open event which means that weigh-ins occurred on the day of your fight. you would then go on to fight everyone else in the same weight category, to find an overall winner. For my weight category there was only one other girl.

I can remember she was a very strong puncher! I did not win this fight but I took it as a learning experience, and was more aware of the level I needed to be at if I ever wanted to fight again.